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Friday, March 14, 2014

Ghemena Plans Her Escape

We are getting very close - only two more excerpts left before High Maga is released on April 4th!

Today we meet two of the youngest members of Eolyn's Aekelahr, Ghemena and Tasha. This scene happens shortly after the invasion of Moehn. Eolyn's coven has been attacked, and Ghemena and Tasha taken prisoner. But little Ghemena is not one to remain bound and imprisoned. Already, she is planning her escape...

~*~

High Maga

Chapter 13 (excerpt)

Sitting up, Ghemena looked around the bare
tent, illuminated by a thin shaft of light streaming through a break in the
canvas. Catarina and Tasha slept, bodies curled side by side on the hard dirt
floor, faces swollen from the many tears they had shed. With growing dread,
Ghemena realized Mistress Adiana was not with them.

Tasha whimpered and stirred. She lifted
her head, tangled dark tresses hanging in her rounded face, and stared with
bleary eyes at their grim surroundings before focusing on Ghemena.

“Where’s Mistress Adiana?” she asked.

A painful lump in Ghemena’s throat would
not let her speak. She bit her lip, working her arms and wrists against each
other, trying to get the blood to return to her fingers.

Tasha moaned and hid her face against
Catarina’s shoulder. “This was supposed to be a dream. I was going to wake up,
and have it all be a very bad dream.”

“We’ve no time to cry,” Ghemena replied
sharply. “We have to get out of here as fast as we can.”

Tasha dragged herself away from
Catarina’s sleeping figure and sat up. She pointed to her bound arms with her
chin. “How are we supposed to escape tied up like this? And where would we go
if we did? You saw the town last night. Nothing’s left of it, and those
horrible men are everywhere.”

“I have a way to find Maga Eolyn, but I
have to free my hands first.” A burning sensation moved through her palms,
followed by the prick of a thousand pins on her fingers. Ghemena knew this was
a good sign.

“What way?” asked Tasha.

“A magic way. Maga Eolyn showed me how before
she left. I’m going find her and tell her what’s happened, and then she’ll come
to rescue you.”

Women and Science

Join author and ecologist Karin Rita Gastreich for an ongoing exploration of women and science. How have gender stereotypes influenced the practice of science? How have women contributed to science? Watch out for some interesting parallels between science and fantasy fiction.